We recently added usage graphs to the customer invoices. We have added the graphs for a couple of reasons:

We want our customers to know how much data they are actually using.

We want you to be able to tell when your usage has changed significantly.

It makes it easier to compare services with other technologies such as WiFi hotspots.

New service plans may have data limits.

It’s very difficult for most customers to understand how much data they are using. The units vary and there is considerable confusion concerning speed (how fast you can transfer data) in Megabits per second and usage (how much data in a time period) in Mega Bytes.

Our typical home Internet customer uses 41GB of data a month. 15% of the users exceed 250Gb, and 1.5% are over 500Gb.

Are usage limits coming?

Not on the existing plans. We anticipate that any new service plans will have usage limits.

Why is Amplex considering usage limits?

We want to offer higher speed plans to our customers. With our newest equipment we can offer much higher speeds, but we need some type of usage limit before we can do so. Our current highest speed plan is 9Mb/1Mb. We would like to increase the speed on our existing plans, and offer higher speed plans up to 25Mbps.

With our current plans, a customer maxing out the service for an entire month generates a economic loss – the data consumed exceeds our costs. Our current plans at 3.5 or 5Mb limit the losses on any given customer, simply because the customer can’t download enough data to cause a major problem. This changes if we offer higher speed plans with no usage limits.

We have not decided on what the new plan speeds or limits are going to be, though the FCC has established a minimum usage of 100Gb/mo for a plan to be considered broadband. Our service plans will be at least 100Gb, and probably far higher.

Can I keep my existing plan?

Yes (seems like there is a Obamacare joke here somewhere….). We may discontinue the existing plans for new customers, but will continue to offer the current plans if you want to stay with them.

Starting in June, your invoice will show your monthly data being used. The chart shows how much data was used for uploading and downloading in the past 12 months.
This exciting new feature shows you the value of your Amplex service, compared to the low limits of other Internet providers. One example shown is a cell phone plan that typically includes 5 Gigabytes of monthly usage. Amplex customers are able to enjoy streaming video and online gaming without worrying about over limit charges with these low monthly allowances.

It’s a risk that affects some websites that use a piece of software called OpenSSL which encrypts the data that is exchanged on them. You’ll know if you’re on one of these sites as there’ll be a padlock sign in the web address bar or if it starts with ‘https.’

This means that any data you exchange on them may be at risk — basically any site where you have a username and password. Not all sites are affected but it’s better to be on the safe side.

If your eyes glaze over when a techie starts talking about megabits, gigabyte caps and upload speeds you’re not alone. Internet terms can be very confusing and it’s important to know what each of these terms mean.

Megabit/Kilobit - When you hear the term Megabit (Mb), one million bits, or Kilobit (Kb), one thousand bits, it is most likely in reference to speed of the connection. The speed of most internet connections is listed in Mbps (megabits per second) and the higher the Mbps the better.

Gigabyte / Megabyte – The term Gigabyte (GB), one billion bytes, or Megabyte (MB) one million bytes, usually refers to the maximum amount of data you’re allowed to transfer before being charged more or having your browsing speed reduced. Streaming movies or downloading large files can quickly use up a data cap.

Ping Time / Latency – The latency or ping time measures, in milliseconds, the time it takes a single bit of information to get to a location on the internet and back to you. The time this takes is very important for playing online multiplayer games and online chat and phone applications. The lower the ping times the better.

Upload / Download – Upload is the information sent from your computer or device out to the Internet. Download is the information sent from the internet to your computer or device. Many internet services have different upload and download speeds because most home and small business users download significantly more then upload.

So how does Amplex Compare? I’ll use my personal internet connection which is on the Home Xtreme service for this example.

"I have used Amplex service for many years now. I was grateful they were servicing my area as there were no other options for internet where I live. I also love how reachable they are. I actually get a real person when I call and they are always pleasant and knowledgeable. I just wanted to say thank you for your excellent customer service!"

~H.B., Bowling Green

"Amplex is awesome! We've had service for 8 months and have not had any issues with our service. Customer service has been great when I have called with questions. I would definitely recommend Amplex to everyone."

~R.W., Fremont

"I have been a very happy customer for approximately 8 years. I would, and do tell everyone about the fast connection to the Internet and the excellent service I have received from Amplex."

~B.C.,, Perrysburg

"I am so pleased that Amplex built towers near us. Now we're paying HALF as much and our speeds are at least 3 times better. The tech who installed was super, knew what he was doing and got us connected like a pro. I haven't been that impressed in ages. Thank you Amplex!"

~H.B., Rudolph

"Amplex Rocks! I have been with several fixed-wireless Internet providers and no one can compare to Amplex’s price, speed, reliability and service! You guys are awesome. It is great to have a local ISP provider that has so much to offer. Thank you Amplex!"